Broome shire gives Mallingbarr Aboriginal community notice on 'third-world' town

The Broome shire wants to bulldoze properties in the Mallingbar community.

Broome's Mallingbarr Aboriginal community, located at the heart of one of Western Australia's premier tourist destinations, has been described as having "worse than third-world" living conditions.

There is no running water, electricity or sewerage in at least three homes, windows are boarded up, there are holes in the walls, and rubbish is strewn across the floors.

Regardless, people continue to squat in the properties, including children and a pregnant woman when the ABC visited.

The scene is so squalid that the local shire wants to bulldoze properties there and says it will sue the West Australian Government to recover the cost.

By having those houses still up, not boarded up like they've said they've done, poses a huge risk, particularly to children.

Henry Councillor

Broome shire president Graeme Campbell says numerous state agencies have failed to act, and the threat to human safety and health has become too great.

"You can't have people living in buildings that are not fit for human habitation," Cr Campbell said.

"If you have a look, you will see the worse than third-world conditions that exist in there."

The Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service has inspected conditions in the community, which sits atop Kennedy Hill, and agrees that action needs to be taken urgently.

"By having those houses still up, not boarded up like they've said they've done, poses a huge risk particularly, to children," chief executive Henry Councillor said.

"If there are children running around inside those houses, that poses a real huge risk in regards to people getting electric shocks, children getting hookworm and ringworm, and all sorts of chronic disease."

Shire vows to sue WA Government, to protect ratepayers

While all agree the living conditions are unacceptable, there is confusion over who is responsible.

The houses are on land owned by the Aboriginal Lands Trust (ALT) and leased to the Mallingbarr Aboriginal Corporation.

In 2010, three of the properties were deemed to be unfit for human habitation, and the Department of Housing says it boarded up the buildings at the request of the residents.

The Department says it offered to spend thousands of dollars demolishing them, but the residents insisted they would repair the houses instead.

Three years later, no work has been done on the properties and people have returned to living in them despite their condition.

Last week, the Broome shire said enough was enough, and served notices to the ALT and occupants giving them 14 days to repair or demolish the houses.

"If it isn't resolved then we will take legal action, and that could take many forms, but basically we will be suing the [Mallingbarr Aboriginal] Corporation, and suing the Aboriginal Lands Trust," he said.

"The ratepayers of Broome are not going to be happy with putting their money towards what is really a Government responsibility, and we'll sue the Government for the money."

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Peter Collier says the situation is "concerning" and that his department is working with the shire and the Aboriginal corporation to find a solution.

He said the occupants had been offered assistance to find alternative accommodation.